Sam, I am
by Mik Sunrider
Summary: A set of twins stumbled into Jackson looking for a cure, one infected with the plague, the other infected with hate. Ellie takes upon herself to try to save them both.
1. Chapter 1

_I don't own or claim any rights to any characters, scenarios, and/or any game-plays in this work of fiction. All rights and property belong to Naughty Dog, Sony Entertainment and/or any and/or all other parties in respect to any popular television, literature and/or motion pictures references that I include in this work. In other words, I own nothing (seriously, ask my bill collectors they'll tell you I own nothing) in this work; I am only playing around in the amazing world Naughty Dog created. My only hope is that if Naughty Dog, Sony Entertainment and/or any other parties who's works I am referencing see this work; I hope that they are entertain and do not send the Runners, Stalkers, Clickers, and Bloaters … er … I mean the lawyers after me. (That does sound like a great name for law firm, don't it … 'Runner, Stalker, Clicker and Bloater … we'll take a bite out of you for justice'.)_

_I hope that you, as the reader, also enjoy this work. Updates, unknown; sorry but I can't tell you how often I will update, or how long this will be nor the end point. Ellie and Joel will tell their story at their own pace, I'm just the transcriber. This follows "Home is where the heart is", you might want to read that one first._

_ I don't like Author notes, so don't expect any. Except the first and last chapter, each chapter will be first person of one character, who that character is depends on the story that needs to be shared. This story is and will remain rated M, don't blame me; Ellie has the mouth of a sailor. Also for violence, some adult themes, drinking … however, if you are looking for graphic, hot, steamy, sex scenes … sorry you are not going to find it here._

_ So enough of my babbling on to the story …_

Year Zero

Green Bay, Wisconsin

Spring +1 day

_It wasn't supposed to go down like that. _

Sammy cringed as she looked down at her twin brother, a gash from the impact with the wall had left a trail of blood on his forehead. His eyes still wide with fear as he hastily reloaded the revolver with the precious few rounds they had left on them. She moved away from the other half of her soul to wrap up her leg, to catch her breath.

_We planned to make it a quick run to the old mall, outside the city walls. We have done it before, no reason not to do it again. We just wanted to get a few things, just something to remember our home._

"What do we do now?" Heather asked, out of breath as the two twins patched themselves up. Samuel, the oldest by 12 minutes, looked around the dark store they were hiding in, looking for anything to use to get the girl he loved, the girl whom he was going to marry in a few days, out of this place, and back to the safety of the city.

_We were three fourteen year old kids, so cock sure and invincible or so we had thought. That day, we all learned a valuable lesson about our beliefs. About how the world really works. The real world, it doesn't give a shit about what you believe. Or what you wanted._

"We'll be fine honey, okay." Samuel said hugging her shoulder as he looked over at his twin sister. "Hey Sammy, you good?"

"I'll … I'll …" she stopped speaking, he could hear the tears falling as she struggle to control herself. "Just make sure you save a bullet for me, Okay big brother."

"Bullshit Sammy," Samuel snapped, "You don't know if that is a bite or not, Okay?" He was in denial, he knew it but choose to just ignored what he had seen earlier. That clicker teeth clamping down on her right thigh, easily puncturing her light weight sweatpants. Her scream as it happened … no! It never happened … it couldn't have happened because she was his twin!

_Twin are special in this new world mom and dad had told us many times, and we knew it was true in our hearts. There is a bond that twins share, a bond that others who were not a twin could never understand. Even fraternal twins like Sam and I, we could feel it although I am sure if we ever met a set of identical twins, they would have a strong bond. It was a special bond that couldn't be broken even by one twin moving on while the other lived. It was eternal._

Sammy knew that her twin knew, but she didn't try to force him to see the truth, to see that she was going to wish she was dead before she ended up in a living hell. She loved her twin and desperately wanted him to survive and be happy with Heather and the child she is carrying and … and if it meant that she allow him the luxury of being delusional for a few hours longer, so be it. They were twins and what more could be said?

"We're almost clear, only a few more yards and we'll be at the hole." Sammy reminded her brother and his girlfreind.

"Yeah, ready honey ...", his words cut off by a loud crunching noise above his head.

Sammy watched in horror as a section of the ceiling caved in on top of her brother and his girlfriend. Along with rubble came two runners. Sam got the pistol swung around but a piece of wood knocked the gun from his hand, while store front dummy smacked him in the head. Sammy wasted no time crossing the room to pick up the spinning gun as the runners screamed out. Whether they're screamed in surprise or pain, it didn't matter to her, she just need to shut them up before the others heard them. It took three of the remaining four shots to silence the intruders. She wasn't the best shot in the world and she had been more concern about not hitting her brother and their best friend then getting a clean shot on the runners. As she knelt next to her brother, she could hear the screams from above; the others had heard the shots and now knew where they were hiding.

"Sammy, help me I'm trapped," Heather grunted as she tried to push the mess off herself.

_It was on that day I learn the cruelest lesson of all._

Sammy looked between her brother, who was out cold and his girlfriend who partially buried debris. She did the calculations in her head, hating herself when the answer came to her. The screams were getting closer, time was running out.

"Sammy, please help me! Sammy, I think my leg is broken, I … I ..."

Calculation time was over, Heather's fate just got decided, she could only save one. She bent down and slipped her arms around her brother. He was bigger then her but not too much, plus fear gave her the strength she needed to lift him up over her shoulder.

"Sammy, what are you doing? I need you to help me too! Sammy?"

She made sure the pistol was in the ready as she staggered towards the broken glass door.

"Oh God, please, please Sammy don't leave me!" Sammy had one shot left, and had so far to go but if worst come to worst, one of them won't suffer before he died. "Sammy, they're getting closer! Sammy, for God's sake don't do this! Please Sammy! Sammy!"

_In this new world, nothing was sacred. Nothing was left unbroken._

Sammy never looked back as she pushed through the door, checking the wide mall hallway for anything moving before running as fast as she could with her unconscious brother towards the barricade entrance. She tried to block out the screams of the girl who had been her best friend since they could both crawl, who had been all set to be her new sister, her newest family member. Her brother's weakly calling out Heather's name but Sammy needed to blocked that out as well. Behind her, she could hear the runners falling through the hole in the store.

"Oh my God, no! No! Sammy! Sammy come back … NO!"

_Not even the bond of a twin could survive._

* * *

Sam, I am.

By Mik Sunrider

Year Zero

Near Jackson, Wyoming

Winter +6 weeks

"Well, at least it stop snowing," dad said as we trek through this forest located somewhere in Western Wyoming. Don't ask me where, he had the map not me.

I rolled my eyes as he laughed at his own joke. Yeah, dad, you're the comedian alright. Instead of going along with the joke, I asked once again, "Why didn't we wait till spring to leave Green Bay?"

"No, the question should be why didn't we leave Green Bay last winter," dad said letting out a bitter laugh.

"Being out here during the winter is stupid, isn't that what you always told me," I sniffed as I keep an eye out for anything edible running about.

"Not this time," he said easily as he walked next to me. "We are all familiar enough with blizzards and such, can't live in this part of the Good Ole USA without learning about this kind of weather. There are enough empty building to hole up in during the worst weather. Plus, we're certainly dressed for it."

Yeah, we were; each of us in this three person hunting party had at least four layers of clothes on, two pair of socks, skiing caps that cost us a fortune back home and gloves made from real leather. The gloves and skiing caps were probably worth more than our weapons, without those two items you could die rather slowly and painfully out here.

"As long as we are careful not to drop off a cliff or fall through a lake, we will be good. And don't forget Sam," he added while turning his head to look behind us. "Most of the bandits and other groups we would rather avoid, those guys will be holed up somewhere waiting for spring to arrive. It is safer for our rather large, and mostly unprotected, group to move around without having a huge 'come kill me' sign hanging around our necks. When you have a group of fifty people and half of them younger than you and your twin sister ..."

"My dead sister you mean," I snapped bitterly refusing to look at the third person in our group. It wasn't really a person anyways and did not deserve any acknowledgement by me or anyone.

"Samuel," my dad said, or more like let out a sigh that sounded like my name.

"It's not worth it dad," the thing said, sounding just as tired as he did.

It picked up it's pace on my dad's left moving towards a clearing in the woods. Dad and I followed suit, we were all silent for now, which suited me just fine. Noise scares away the food. Of course, with silence came memories. Memories of a year ago, when I was fourteen and in love with a girl. When I found out I was going to be a daddy myself and when I had a twin sister name Samantha.

Neither my parents nor Heather's parents had bust out the beers when we told them that Heather was pregnant, but they also didn't disown us either. In the Zone, it wasn't unheard of for kids our age being parents. If anything, the military government passively approved of kids being parents. Got to get the population up, even though they had a bitch of a time feeding us as is.

That lack of rations is what prompted my parents and the others to decide to move away from Green Bay to out West, where the Fireflies are rumored to have a QZ of their own. We should have left last winter but with Julie new-found condition, dad and the others wanted to wait a bit longer. Traveling with a new-born would be tough enough, having a child on the road would be deadly for her and my child.

God, why did we …

Then I saw it, about thirty yards of to my right and down in a small valley, standing in a clearing being all smug as shit as it ate a green bush. A big old buck, at least a 20 pointer, more than enough to help feed all of us back at the camp. For a few days anyways.

"Dad," I whispered while pointing at my discovery. Both of them stopped moving as that big stupid animal continued to eat away as if it didn't have a care in the world.

"Okay, you two keep an eye open," Dad whispered back as he shuffled forward to a better firing position.

That thing pretending to be Sammy and I fell back into position to watch our flanks, making sure nothing on four feet or two tried to sneak up on us. Wolves, bears, coyotes, or wild pack of dogs; humans weren't the only things that go hungry in winter. We both silently agreed to let dad take the shot since he was way better at this kind of precise shooting then either of us. When we were younger, he had told us stories of him spending the weekends hunting with our grandfathers and his uncles back before the Day. He even had won a gold medal in a shooting contest back when he was in high school. I had called bullshit on that before we left Green Bay; after all, he was old and you know, just lived to tell jokes. Even Sammy, before she became a fucking runner, didn't believe dad's stories either.

Yeah, well; whatever, you know. I swallowed my fifteen year old pride and had to admit, he wasn't full of shit on this one. If it hadn't been for his hunting skills, I think we would still be in Minnesota, wasting away and not stinking until spring. If it hadn't been for his survive skills, his ability to see hazards buried under several feet of snow, we would have laid at the bottom of some ravine. I'm just so glad none of our old friends were around, I would hate to have to admit how wrong I had been in front of them.

"That's it you big dumb animal, just keep eating," Dad whispered as he slowly moved up to a fallen log. "Nothing to see here, we all just out for a walk."

Yeah, he was good but also strange as hell. I don't know how mom put up with him all these years.

As we all kneeled behind the log, dad using it to brace the rifle, the deer made a god awful noise, like a grunt and jumped to run away; heading in our general direction before falling to the ground.

"What the fuck," my dad whispered out sounding as confused as I was.

What the hell happened to it? Was it sick? Some new kind of sickness? We would be so fucked if we couldn't eat any of the venison around here.

"Dad, look," the runner said whispering as well and pointing off to my right.

A small figure came bounding down the side of the hill, wearing a fur-lined, hooded jacket that may have been white a long time ago, an old school bag for a back pack with more arrows sticking out of it and a bow in his left hand. The guy was short and well, tiny really. I was five eight, mom and dad were both five ten, heck even Samantha was five seven; this guy was probably five one or five two, maybe. Maybe it was a kid.

"Damn, brought that buck down in one shot." Dad whispered out in admiration. "Who ever that is must have it in the lung to bring it down so quickly."

I watched the kid running up to the buck, it set the bow down as he reached for a knife on his belt. While the kid knelt a plan started forming in my head.

"Dad, we need that buck," I said lifting my gun.

"No," Dad said quickly. "We don't kill other humans, not unless we have too to protect our self."

"We are protecting our self, we need food."

"There will be other game Sam," dad said with a firm tone that would have forestalled any argument when I was eight and didn't no shit about starving.

"You don't know that dad," I snapped back. "You know we can take that kid easily, plus we probably won't have to shoot him. It is just a stupid kid. We go running out there, fire a couple of shots over his head, that little shit will get so scared he will run away. Probably run all the way home before he stops." The kid pulled out the arrow out of the buck, but he seem to move slower, more cautiously.

"Or right to his dad, who is probably not that far away. No parent would let a kid that young run around the forest in the middle of winter alone." Dad snapped at me in a low voice, the kid was slowly picked up his bow off the ground. I wasn't worry about him, there was no way he could hear us talking as far away as he was. "We don't want to attract trouble Sam. We can't run the risk of ..."

The kid turn suddenly, spinning on his knees in our direction, dad stopped talking and dropped flat to the ground as I heard the arrows hit the log.

_**Thump**_

_** Thump**_

_** Thump**_

Fucking hell! I ducked back down behind the log trying hard not to shit my pants, Sammy let out a yelp as well. Fuck me! I didn't know you could shoot three arrows that fucking fast. By dad's expression, I don't think he was aware you could shoot that fast either.

"That was a warning shot!" A young, _female,_ voice yelled out and not sounding the less bit intimidated by our presence. "Show yourselves and your fucking hands had better be empty!"

"Dad," Sammy whimpered out, she maybe a fucking mushroom head but she can still die like a normal human.

"Easy," dad whispered and then repeated louder as he stood up. "Easy there miss. We aren't looking for trouble." He bent down to lean the rifle against the log, the barrel facing up. "We are just out looking for food, just like you."

"I said all of you, now!" She had a strange accent, I've never heard one like it before.

"Just take it easy," Dad said holding out his right hand as he waved at Sammy and I with his left. "They're just my kids, okay. Let's all be nice and calm about all this, alright. Sam, Sammy, come on up, nice and slow." Sammy and I slowly stood up, I don't know how dad could be so damn cool and calm, I was trying my best not to shake or bolt. In this case, running would be a really bad idea, her bow never wavered much as she tracked our movement. They weren't quick jerky movements but very smooth arch as if she was on a the firing range and not out in the middle of the forest. Yeah, she would put one in my back if I tried anything. Sammy and I also leaned our rifles against the log as dad had. "There is no reason for anyone to shoot anyone here, Okay."

"Take three steps back," the girl yelled out as she stood up herself.

"Three steps back, right. We'll do as you ask, you are in charge here," Dad said calmly taking long steps backwards with Sammy following suit.

"You too pretty boy, move it." She started to slowly move forward towards us.

"So you can shoot us without us being able to defend ourselves? Fuck you." I shot back lowering my hands a bit.

"Pftt. Guess what, dick head, if I wanted you dead, you already be dead; now back the fuck up!" She stopped about ten yards away, close enough to see some details on our faces but not close enough for us to rush her. She was wearing a scarf around her face with only her eyes not covered and a few strands of reddish hair sticking out from the fur-lined hoodie.

"There's three of us and only one of you." I reminded her, trying to shake some of that cool from her.

"Five."

"Sam," Dad hissed out.

"Four."

"Great, so you can count, congratulations."

"Three."

"Samuel!" Dad grabbed me by the back of my jacket, pulling me back to him.

"Damn it dad," I glared at him as he glared back at me.

"Be quiet!" Dad used a tone that he hasn't used on me or Sammy in years. One that made me fume, I am not a little kid anymore you fucking coward. "She right, if she wanted to kill us, she would have." Then he changed his tone to a more friendly one and turn back to the girl. "She doesn't want to hurt us and we don't want a fight either. No reason we all can't be friends, is there?"

"You, bright eyes," the girl said with her bow pointed directly at me but speaking to the runner next to dad. "Slowly, and I mean really slowly, take your cap off." I saw Sammy glance at Dad before complying with the request. When she took her cap off her long blond hair, tied up in a pony tail, spilled out on her shoulders. "Now, slowly move to the rifles, unload them one at a time and put the ammo in your cap, got it?"

"Yes, unload the rifles one at a time, ammo in my cap," Sammy said, her voice not betraying her fear. It took a few moments for her to comply, when she finished she held the skiing cap towards the girl.

"Back up and give that back to your dad," the girl said, her damn bow still pointed at me. Well, at least, she knows who is the most dangerous of the three.

"Thank you for the ammo," Dad let out a sigh of relief as Sammy took up position between dad and me. Okay, yeah, ammo is good but useless without our fucking guns. He stuck the cap in his left pocket of his jacket as he talked to the kid, "This is my child Samuel, and my other child, Samantha, and I am ..."

"Let me guess, Sam?"

"Larry," Dad said giving the kid his world-famous grin. "And you are?"

"Cold. So what you doing out here Larry?"

"Just passing through, heading out West trying to find somewhere to settle down. The kids always wanted to see Yellowstone; so I figure, what the hell, let's go to Yellowstone."

"Yellowstone is further North, you know." She pointed behind us with her arrow.

"Well, I've never been good with directions." Dad said still grinning.

"Uh huh," she shifted her weight slightly but still hadn't lowered her bow. She had some serious strength, I guess, on that tiny body to hold a bow that long. "So lets hear it."

"Uh, hear what?"

"How you are just out hunting, part of a large group, women and children, all starving, blah blah; you willing to trade for the deer, will try to kidnapped me, cut me up into little bitty pieces, blah blah, you know the drill."

"Why … why … little pieces?" Sammy stuttered out as dad got a weird look in his eye.

"You're from Colorado, right?"

"No, no we're not. Are you saying there are … here … in America?" Dad asked sounding genuinely surprised and a more than a bit disgusted. "Fucking hell."

"Yeah, ran into a group down in Colorado," the girl said eying Dad as if trying to gage his reaction. "If you are heading that way, be real careful accepting any meals from anyone, never know who you might be snacking on."

"Dad?" Sammy was asking the same question I was, what the hell were they talking about?

"Nothing kids," he said shaking his head in disgust. "Don't worry about it, we're not headed that way." He nodded to the other kid, "Thanks for the warning."

"Free of charge," the girl said nodding. "So if you ain't from around here, where are you from?

"Green Bay QZ, over by Lake Michigan, you ever hear of it?"

"Green Bay?" The girl repeated the name to herself quietly then her eyes lite up brightly. "Cheese heads!"

"Wow," Dad snorted out a laugh. "You really know your football, young lady to know about that kind of stuff."

"Well, I am still learning," she said with a tilt of her head. "But yeah, I know a few people who love to talk about football," she rolled her eyes and somehow gave the impression she was actually smiling. "They mostly talk college but they liked the pro stuff as well."

"Sounds like dad," the runner said, a small smile on her face. "He'll talk your head off about Rodgers or Favre, if you give him a half of excuse."

"Yeah, I get the same thing about Romo and Akimen."

"Really? A Cowboy fan? By your accent, I would have figure you for a Brady girl?"

"My friend is from Texas, so he loves the Cowboys." Then she gave a small giggle that caused my dad and sister to smile as well. "But Brady? A Patriot? Do I look like a weirdo to you?"

"Yes." I snapped.

She didn't move, didn't respond in any way but yeah it got really cold really fast. So much for trying to distract her. Sammy must gotten a bad vibe from the girl, she shifted her weight slightly to slowly lean in front of me.

"Easy, Sammy." The girl said, "he hasn't pissed me off enough to shoot him … yet."

"He is my twin," Sammy said quietly, that actually seemed to confuse the girl.

"He is your what?"

"They're twins," Dad nodded towards us. "You know what twins are, right?"

"Yeah, but I though they were always same-sex except in like movies. So they are like Luke and Leia Skywalker, uh?"

"Yeah, just like them. I take it you haven't met many twins before, have you?"

"No, can't say that I have," the girl stared at Sammy and I for another half second before shifting her eyes towards Dad. "Alright enough chit-chat, let's get down to brass nails; what do you have to trade for the deer?"

"Actually, I don't have anything to trade," Dad said slowly. "But I do have an offer, if you're willing to listen?"

"Talk."

"Let Sam and Sammy go, with the ammo, and I'll stay here until the rest of your group shows up, then you can decide what to do with me." Both the runner and I protest but dad cut us off. "No, she is just stalling for time. There will be others here soon, she will need help getting that deer home. She probably sent a signal before she came down to check on the deer. That is why she had you unload the rifle, she not worry about us shooting her but doesn't want the others getting shoot when they show up. She doesn't want anyone getting hurt by a misunderstand, right?"

"You would do the same if you were in my shoes, I think."

"I wouldn't, I would have shot you by now." I growled out.

"Pftt, now tell me something I haven't figure out on my own, asshole."

"I'll stay, let my brother and dad go," Sammy said as my dad told me to be quiet.

"Agree," I snapped.

"Be quiet Samuel!" Dad stare at me with a look of murder on his face.

"You would let your sister stay back while you run home," the girl said slowly shaking her head. "Well, that's brotherly love for you. And you are willing to die for that little fucker?"

"He is my twin," she lashed out in a low voice. "And he is father, family might not mean much to you but it means everything to me, bitch."

"Well, she is prettier," the other girl said softly as if in thought.

"No," Dad said in a voice that I never heard him use before, I didn't think he could ever sound that threatening. The girl didn't even twitch as he step in front of us. "No deal. We don't want a fight but I will not, will not under any circumstances, allow you to hurt my children in any way."

"You're not leaving me many options."

"Yes, I am. The kids leave unharmed and I stay behind or we fight. Either way, they leave."

"What do you think?" She said after a few tense moments.

"I don't trust the boy," a rough voice said from behind us … Oh motherfucker!

"Daddy," Sammy whimpered out as she turned with me to see the what was behind us.

The fucker was huge, he had to be at least six two and fuck, shit, he was built! He had a shotgun pointed at us, had a rifle slung to his backpack as well as a 9mm on thigh and the biggest revolver I have ever seen on his left thigh. His eyes were sharp and menacing, that bushy salt and pepper beard just added to the pirate look. When the hell did he show up? I never heard him!

"This … this changes nothing, kids go free or else," Dad's composure falter at the sight of that man. Okay, not going to hold it against him, I seriously think I just shit my pants.

"Yes, them and you are free to go," the big man said pulling the shotgun up on his shoulder and walked around us to the girl, who had finally let the bow drop down to her side. The arrow was still on the string, ready at moments notice.

"Sorry about all that," the girl said after pulling down her scarf to expose her face. Wow, she has had a hard life even if she was no older than us, very cute if you like a brawler type. "Had to be sure. You guys can have the deer as well."

"Team six to control," the big guys said into a microphone sticking out of his jacket. I also notice he had an ear piece in his right ear, damn can't hear what is going on. "Situation under control, seem to be friendly, she offered her catch to them, we're going to help get it dressed. Will call back when on our way back." He nodded as if someone was talking to him. "Roger, and yeah, she managed not to get hurt this time. Team six clear."

"I'm going to let that bear eat you next time, asshole," she said glaring at the older man.

"So what is the catch," Dad asked.

"No catch, you guys probably need it more than we do," the big guy said. "The girls can carry the rifles, Sam, you and I will field dress the deer, how does that sound?"

"Too good to be true."

"Yeah, well; she is like that sometimes. She seems to trust y'all, and it is her deer, so might as well help out before she starts her whole damn L routine."

"L?"

"Trust me … you don't want to know."

"You won't be able to resisted forever, you old goat," she said with a smirk.

"I keep telling y'all, I am immune." He said as he started walking towards the down deer with dad close behind him. Sammy picked up her and dad's rifle while the girl took mine.

This is just so … fucking stupid!

"So what? We are all kissy face now? Just like that?" I asked as the girls started after the men.

"Look, we can all get together some other day to kill each other, but right now I am fucking cold. The sooner you guys get that deer done, the faster you guys can get the hell out of here. And when you leave, I can go home where it is warm. Dumb ass." The girl said without even turning around. "So Sammy, you're the twin who got the great looks and the brains, what did he get out of the deal?"


	2. Chapter 2

Jackson Hole Airport

Behold!

The modern man of the twenty-first century providing food for his family and friends … by carrying a deer suspended on a tree branch while walking through three feet of snow for who knows how many miles. We have fallen so far so fast.

Even when I was a kid, hunting in the woods around Appleton and other places in Wisconsin, when we got a deer, we had other better ways to get it home. An atv to take it from the trail to the main road where we would throw it in the back of one of my uncle's pickup truck. Then we would take it to one of my grandfather's friends who would take care of the butchering for me.

And we thought we had it so rough.

I gave out a snort that made Sam, who was walking in front, look over his shoulder to give me a fishy stare. I gave him a nod and smile but neither of us said anything, talking took too much effort. He has been a trooper so far, he hasn't complain once about carrying this brute back to camp, although, we did have to stop a few times for a break. Sammy, who was walking behind us, keeping an eye out for any more surprises has also been quiet. When I was a kid, we never had to worry about coyotes, wild dogs, wolf or other humans who would gladly kill us for this deer.

It was nearing sunset when we finally turned off the main road to the airfield. Snowplows, I always hated them when I as younger. When I was a kid, snowplows meant I had to go to school that day instead of staying home to play in the snow. When I was a teenager, snowplows always came around five seconds after I finally got the driveway cleared, which meant after the plow went by, I would have to go back out and remove the snow it pushed into my driveway. In college, they would bury my car under a few feet of snow. However, now, I would sell my soul to Satan in a heart beat for a snowplow truck, with a working heater! Shit, who am I kidding, heater would be optional.

Linda was the first one out of the small terminal to greet us as we struggled across the small air strip with our deer. Even though we were still a hundred yards away, I'd know her outline anywhere. We married after our graduation from college in '12, just mere months before Madison was a ghost town and most of our families and friends were dead. We had to moved back in with my parents in Appleton a couple of months after graduation since the only job I could find required me to ask if you wanted a shake with those fries. Those four years of a liberal arts education was good for something I guess, I had a major in American History with a minor in bullshit and a new brand new best friend named Sallie Mae, who wanted to called me every month if I forgot to write.

I also remember bitching to Linda just how bad things had been back then and how they couldn't get worst. How I wish I could be so young and foolish again.

Thanks to Linda's education degree, with a minor in music, she had been able to wrangle a few tutoring gigs teaching pompous children whose 'way too rich for their own good' parents were convince they were the next Bach or Michael Bolton. So looking back, things weren't what we had planned on but they weren't dire either. The dire showed up later.

When they closed Florida and the Governor designated Milwaukee and Green Bay as the states two official Quarantine Zones, Linda and I high tailed up the road. My parents refuse to leave Appleton, they figure it wasn't going to be as bad as they were making it out, just something those morons in Washington were making up, again. It was just a fungus after all, with Florida contained the chances of it spreading up this far North was slim. Linda and I didn't put much stock in it either but prospect of good jobs was more than enough reason to get there ahead of the rush. Linda's parents were already living in the Milwaukee area so she wasn't to concern about their safety.

Ah, to be young and foolish.

We both got a job working on the Wall, busting our ass for twelve hours a day, seven days a week. And I mean busting ass, people probably hadn't worked like that here in the States since my great grandfather's days. And they needed a lot of people, even with modern equipment, the need for the Wall outpaced the equipment or skilled workers. Doesn't take much skill to push a wheel barrel or swing a shovel. And not everyone could cut it either, everyday there was a new person on the job. People were dropping out left and right, some from exhaustion, some to run away as the wild-fire call the Plague grew hotter, some died in the mad rush to get that Wall in place.

More died from the Plague, both inside and outside the Zone. I'm still not sure which plague got my parents, was it the Spores or just the old fashion plague of fear and hate. My parents never left their home, they died together while their house burned down around them. Linda, to this day, still don't know what happened to her parents, only that they never made it to safety.

Once the Wall was up, well there was still lots of construction jobs that still needed done. Before Hell set up shop on Earth, I had been in okay shape; maybe a bit pudgy and I might have smoke a cancer stick or two or hundred. During the construction and afterwards, I went from an unhealthy 240 to 148, quit smoking (black market prices were way too high) and gain more stamina then I have ever had; Linda was really starting to look great as well. It is amazing what not having TV or the Internet around can do for you.

We had the twins a year after the Civilian Government fell, September 13, 2019. While Sam inherited both Linda and my temperament, fireworks didn't happen often between us but when they did it was Forth of July in NYC every time, and our height. Sammy got our brains and her mom's looks, which is good because I would make one hell of an ugly woman. They both got their mom's blond curly hair, bright blue eyes, pale skin and soft features. Sadly, neither of them seem to inherited my great sense of humor, truly a sad, sad day for the world. They both just roll their eyes when I remind them of this fact.

"Hey you," Linda said giving me a full kiss on the lips. We were a lot more physical around the twins then our parents had been around us. They saw us kissing all the time, so often that they never even commented on it anymore and we always had a hug or two for them as well. In this world, you just never knew. "Wow, you guys did good!"

"We got lucky," I said softly as she went to hug Sam.

Boy, did we ever! I'm still shaking in my boots from that encounter with Little Lizzie Borden and Freaky Freddy Krueger. I don't put much stock in the whole God thing but damn if someone wasn't watching out for us today. I also hope that Sam now understood what that stupid 'survival of the fittest' crap he is always spouting off really looks like. God, please let him finally understand.

That girl's face had looked as if it had been used as a punching bag a few times in the past, can't imagine what the rest of her might look like and her dad, I have seen pit bulls with friendlier eyes and fewer scars. Neither of them struck me as the kind that would have any problem blowing out our brains … if they had chosen to do it. And that is the hardest part to get in to my son's head, they made the decision not to kill us.

Both of the Sams had been slow to duck when she spun around towards us, she had a clear shot at their heads. The fact that she choose to give us a warning told me a lot about her. And she made that choice no doubt about it. No one who can take down a deer with one arrow would've miss them from that distance. Her choice told me where ever she came from, where ever she is living at right now, had more than enough food and protection that she felt comfortable with her decision.

There was also the fact that her father trusted her enough to respect her decision to let us live! I never heard him, neither had the kids. He was a damn good hunter to move so quietly and quickly to get behind us. He could have blasted us in the back without us even getting to beg for our lives … but he didn't.

And they let us have their kill … for free.

"What … what happened?" Linda asked in a fearful voice as she looked between Sam and I, her blond curls bounce in time with her head.

"It's okay mom, we are all okay," Sammy said standing next to me as her brother nodded his head.

"Did you ..."

"We just ran into some of our neighbors, hon. They helped us with the deer and passed on some news, that is all." I nodded towards the terminal where some of the other adults standing around waiting for us to finish our reunion. "We better get this bad boy in there, my stomach is already angry enough as it is."

"Alright," her tone made it clear that it wasn't but she didn't know what else to say. I'm sure after we eat, I'll be spending a few minutes explaining our day. "It's been quiet here all day."

"Good, very good." I nodded to Sam, he turn back around and started heading to the building we decided to stay in for a couple of days. "I hope Jake knows how to butcher a deer, me thinks I am too hungry to do a good job at it."

"Ralph was able to snare a couple of rabbits while you were gone, Cindy and Jeff took Jeff jr and Sally with them to check some of the nearby cabins. They didn't find anything, must have been pick clean by those folks you met earlier."

"Probably mom," Sammy said quietly while walking on my left. "They didn't look as if they were starving to me."

When we got to the terminal, Chuck and Hank as well as the other adults all cheered our good fortune. Jake whistle out a tuneless note of admiration at our 'catch'.

"We still have some vegetables, a bit of barley, we can make a good stew out of this," Cindy said looking over our supplies as Sam and I laid the buck down in our 'kitchen', an old ticket counter that boasted their planes were the best way to see Yellowstone.

I let a smile form on my lips as I read that sign, I hadn't been totally lying to that girl. I had always want to come see the first National Park and one of the largest volcanoes in the world. I remember back in 2012, everyone was talking about the Mayans Calendar was predicting the end of the world on December 21, 2012. Some believe that Yellowstone was going pop it's top on that day, dropping tons of ash all over the country. I didn't believe it but Linda and I decided when we had kids, we had to go out and see it for ourselves. Now that we are finally here, it's not worth the risk to head up there. Shitty luck but that is life.

Of course, if you think about it all those crazies were right about the end of the world, they were just off by nine months.

"Anyway you want suits me just fine," I said suddenly feeling my age. By the looks of Samuel, he was feeling my age as well. "Come on Sam, let's go take a load off our feet."

"No argument from me this time dad," he said grinning as he headed over to our little corner.

"I'll stay here and help with dinner," Linda said as the Sammy and I walked away.

"Give me your water bottles, I'll go pack some snow in them," Sammy said as I sat down on a thick blanket we found in Minnesota.

One point in the snow's favor, it was a source of water … after an evening or so to warm up.

"No, take a break Sammy," I tugged on her over-size jacket sleeve trying to get her to sit down as well. "You've had a rough day too."

"I'm fine dad, I'll rest after dinner ..."

"No, you can rest now."

"Dad, I'm fine really."

"Just sit down," Sam mumbled out from my left. His eyes were already closed as he pushed his legs out in front of him. "You know he isn't going to shut up until you do what he wants. And I want to take a nap."

Sammy plopped down on my right, imitating her twin brother after she shrugged off her larger than needed jackets. Not for the first time I wish that the end of the world would have waited a few more weeks to occurred.

The trouble started in Florida towards Labor Day and burned through the South towards the end of September and early October, so most of the clothing found in the stores were still back to school and light fall styles. The heavier winter clothing wouldn't have arrived in the warehouses until end of October. There are probably semi trucks and ships on the coast full of warm clothing but none here in the Midwest. It had been hard to find enough clothing for Sam to wear but not as hard as it was for Sammy and the other little girls to find clothing.

You tend to forget the difference between girls and boys fashions that had existed back then until you wanted real clothing. While Sammy liked short dresses, shorts, and sandals; in the winter they were useless, as was most shoes out there for girls. All their clothing had been 'cute' and designed to be 'sophisticated' and 'darling' not a tough and rougher design that would actually be of some use in this new world. So all the warm clothing Linda and I had found for her over the years had been mostly boys, including her boots. It also saved on gathering things, since the twins weren't that much different in size until recently, so they could share clothing. Now, however, Sam was getting broader shoulders and bulking up in a good way while Sammy was most definitely no longer a little girl.

"I stink," Sammy said quietly with a sniff as the other children in the groups chased each other around the terminal.

They were pretty loud, I don't know if Sam or I could sleep with all that noise.

"I've said that for years."

I let out snort as I put my arm around the kids. Sam actually made a joke, with his sister! Been so long since that has happened, felt good to hear it.

"Shut up, you," she whined back. "And I am serious, I think I fucking pissed myself earlier."

"Then I beat you again because I am fucking sure I shit myself."

"Can you two not curse so much," I said as they both leaned into me while I closed my eyes.

"Yeah, fucking right," they said in unison.

I let out a chuckle and then lean my head back against the wall.

"Hey, time to wake up."

My eyes popped open to see Linda smiling face. Even after all these years, nothing makes my heart beat faster than seeing her gorgeous face. Back when I first met her in college, my buddies all tease me saying that she was at least a five. Too chubby, too plain, too small chested; yak yak; but when I saw her, well Venus would weep at how beautiful Linda truly was. Not only was she a looker; but she was also smart, had a beautiful voice to go with her body, could play the violin like no ones business and … she was just perfect in every way. My only question I had about her was her choice of men, I mean she picked me, didn't she? She had really bad taste in men.

"Have I told you how beautiful you are today?"

"Only every time you see me," she gave me a wide grin.

"What did I ever do to deserve you," Sammy said in a deep voice.

"I'm wondering what I ever did that was so bad to get you," Sam putting in his two cents with a high pitch voice and throwing his right arm over his forehead.

"Well, there was that one time in band camp." Sammy said imitating my mannerism.

"Wonderful," Linda rolled her eyes as the twins giggled. "You have finally corrupted them."

"Tsk, took long enough."

"I'm not sure if I should feed you now or not," Linda playfully stuck her tongue out at the three of us as she pick up the tray behind her.

Both the twins and I sat up straight, I'm not sure whose stomach was growling the loudest but all three would not be ignored.

"How long had we been asleep," I asked as she gave me my bowl first as well as a jar of water.

"About two hours, everyone else has already eaten." That would explain why it was so quiet around here, the children were off doing their evening chores. "There is enough left to last us a couple of days anyways."

The three of us ate the stew slowly, it was a trick I heard about one time. If you eat slowly and drink lots of water, your stomach will think it is full whether of not it actually was. Nice trick, can't wait for it to actually work for once. Our helpings had a lot of deer meat in it, which was nice. Since the three of us did all the hunting, scouting and majority of the watches, it wasn't so much as a perk as it was a necessity.

"So what did happen out there today?" Linda asked me as we finished our dinner.

"Can you hand me your pack real quick first?" She gave me a fishy look but didn't protest as she reached behind Sam to grab her pack. We all had packs, in them we carried a couple of change of clothes, as many socks as we could carry, ammo for the rifles and the family pistol, plus things we need for hygiene and to patch our self up. However, both Linda and I also carried items we thought we might need to make some trades. One of those items I was now pulling out of her backpack, a nice unopened bottle of scotch.

I drank the rest of my water and gave myself a nice health shot, then gave one to Linda.

"Come on guys, you deserve this as well," I said to the Sams. They both were kind of hesitant as I poured them a small shot. It wasn't everyday that I allowed them to drink, in fact this was a first.

I already knew that Sam has drunk in the past, usually shitty home-brew beer or moonshine as well as learned about sex first hand. That one had been hard to hide once Heather showed up pregnant. Sammy, however, was more of a mystery. I supposed it blind hope that many fathers have indulge in with their teenage daughters. I hope that she was still naïve in the ways of many things of this world but if she wasn't, she didn't advertise it like her twin. Even now as I watched her out of the corner of my eye, I couldn't tell if her facial expression while sipping the scotch were genuine or an act to make me feel better.

"Oh man," Sam said coughing a bit. "That's the real stuff, ain't it."

"It's an acquire taste," Linda said grinning. "Like everything about your dad, it takes awhile to develop an immunity." She took a taste and made a face as well. "Some things take longer than others."

"Scotch is good." I said in my most non-seriousness serious tone. "It will put hair on your chest, make a man out of you."

"Uh-huh, I don't think I like the idea of hair on my chest. Bet you don't either." Well, she had a point. Both of the Sams made gagging noises as she gave me a smile that lit up the room. "Plus, I'm a Milwaukee girl, beer was good enough for me growing up and it's good enough for my children."

"Here, here," the Sams said in unison.

"Heathen, I'm surrounded by heathens." They snickered as I pour myself another shot. I notice that none of the heathens declined a second round either. I'll civilize them sooner or later.

"So," Linda asked quietly as she squeezed herself in-between Sam and I.

"Well, like I said; we ran into a couple of our neighbors. They had us surrounded before we knew what was going on."

"How many were there?"

"Two mom, just two of them." Sam said as his mom put her arm around him. "A man and his kid, I think."

"She was about our age or younger," Sammy said leaning into me. "She kept us distracted while he worked his way behind us."

"I thought dad was the shit when it came to hunting but that guy," Sam stop speaking to take another sip.

"We never heard him come up behind us." Sammy said quietly. "I keep glancing behind us, one second it was clear, the next he was there. Fuck, he was there!"

"He was a bruiser alright, a fighter. He armed to the teeth and probably could have taken us all out without even using his firearms. His eyes ..." I shuddered as those eyes came back to me. They will be hunting my dreams for a few weeks I know it. "He had a southern accent, she had a New England accent; neither of them looked as if fighting was something they avoided very often. Like we said; they had us dead to rights, surrounded and out numbered."

"She was scary good with a bow mom," Sammy added nervously. "She fired off three arrows in less time then it would have taken us to shoot her. I never knew you could shoot arrows that fast!"

"Did you notice how she was holding her spare arrows," Sam sat up and faced his sister. "They were in her right hand. She always had three in her right hand as well as the one on the string."

"When you guys were cutting up the deer, she kept her left hand on her bow, holding the arrow in place. I saw a pistol on her hip but she never drew it. That bow was like a part of her arm or something."

"She is scary good," I said for emphases. "She has spent lot of time getting that good." I drained my glass in one shot and then looked at Linda, who was quiet and looking off to the distance. "We got fucking lucky."

"How did you get away, with a deer no less?"

"She decided we weren't a threat," Sam let out a sour chuckle as he leaned back against his mom. "Compared to them, we weren't."

"She decided? Not her father?"

"Well, no. She asked him what he thought, he didn't like Sam much but that because Sam was doing his best to get under her skin at the time." I looked over at my son, who had the good sense to looked embarrassed. "Learn anything today?"

"Boy did I," he sounded as if he really meant it and I hope to hell he does.

"Well, good because those two are what survive of the fittest look like," I added in just for good measure. By the way he finished his drink, I think it is safe to say he did get it. "Anyways, she had a good feeling about us and decided to let us live. She also gave us the deer, she figure we needed it more than they did."

"Which means that there are more of them out there, a lot more." Linda could draw the picture for herself. In America today, having enough to eat was as rare as starvation was twenty years ago. Having more than enough to eat so you could afford to give away a catch like that deer was unheard of, which meant that they were well fed and would stay that way all winter. "You think we are in danger here?"

"We will always be in danger until we find those Fireflies," I reminded her as I hugged her. "But I think we are safe from those two, for now. Still, I would rather not stick around too long if they change their minds. We'll need to let the others know we will be moving out tomorrow morning, as soon as it is light enough to do it."

"No problem," she said softly.

None of us moved, too wrapped up in each other to move. For the first time since Heather died, Sam hasn't been raging at Sammy, nor was Sammy silently taking the abuse. I understand, really I do. Heather meant a lot to Sam, was it love or not, we will never know.

All I know is that she was carrying his child, they were going to be married and start their own family. Sammy had bust a gut with happiness at her twin brother and her best friend since forever were going to be married. Neither Linda or I nor Heather's parents were overjoyed but we didn't get too badly bent out of shape either. This wasn't our time, when starting a family at fourteen could doom your life, where the boy would run away and leave the girl all alone.

Sam and Heather didn't have the same worries or pressure we had when we were growing up. Now they had to worry about food, clothing and damn Infected. The pressures were different today and the cost of failure was higher. In this world, failure equaled death. There are no social services, there isn't any welfare system, there are no safety nets. Everyone my age and up all claimed that we're grown ups back then but until the world fell apart, I don't think we really had to grow up. The Sams and the other kids, yeah they had no choice. They had to grow up in a hurry or die.

But no matter how much they had to grow up, they were still kids. They still thought that nothing bad would ever happened to them, even when they saw what happened to people who did stupid things everyday. They just had to go to the mall that day, they just had to grab a few things …

Sammy got bit, Sam was suffering from a concussion and Heather never made it out of the mall. Sam doesn't remember what had happened in the mall, he only remembered that Heather had been there one minute and the next he was outside with Sammy carrying him home. Sammy never told him or me what happened, she just cried and kept silent. She only asked that we save one bullet for her, she didn't want to change.

Sam nearly killed her himself once he was up and out of bed. I never seen him hit his sister, even as young children no one touched Sammy without Sam getting in the way and throwing punches at them. Even when Linda or I tried to spank her, Sam would do his best to get between us and Sammy.

But when he got out of bed, it took everything Linda and I had to get him off Sammy. It broke my heart seeing that, after everything that has happened in this world, that has happened to my family; nothing scared me more than the sight of Sam slamming Sammy's head into floor over and over. She didn't fight or scream out in pain.

That is when we also found out that she was bitten. Sam screamed at her that she would get no bullet from him, when she changed he hoped that he could get her outside again so she could live long time as a mushroom head.

God, that had been the worst day in history.

"Hey runner," Sam said suddenly.

I tense, so much for a quiet night.

"Yeah?" Sammy responded while curling up to me.

"Did you notice anything strange about that girl?"

Sammy and I both snorted out a humorless laugh as she responded. "You want the complete list or just the highlights?"

"Just … anything really stick out to you?"

"She has pretty green eyes," Sammy answer cautiously.

"I think … I think she smelled like you do."

"You were probably just smelling me, I told you I reek."

"Fttp, I know that; been craving a mushroom pizza every time you walk by."

"Thanks, jerk"

"It's just … I don't know maybe I was smelling you but ..."


	3. Chapter 3

Jackson Hole Airport

Dad is one who always saw the good in everything, I think the word mom had used to describe him was optimist. Even when he found out I had been bit and was now a fucking runner, he still loved me and told me everyday that everything will work out for the best. Pftt, yeah right. Maybe dad wasn't an optimist, sometimes I think he is just an idiot.

Not that I would ever tell him that he was stupid, because he wasn't when it came to 99 percent of things in this world. He has always been my hero, being a mushroom head hasn't change that at all. It was dad that got us out of Green Bay, track across Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota and into Wyoming during the winter. It was him who kept us fed, warm, and safe. It surely wasn't those other true idiots that were tagging along with us. None of them could have made it past those goons back in Green Bay, if it hadn't been for dad's insider information.

Dad had kept in touch with some folks that he never allow Sam or me to meet, like ever. They lived outside the wall and outside the law. Dad called them honest hard-working survivors who got a bum rap or didn't quite adjust to the new world as easily as they had. Mom just called them old friends from the early days of the Zone. Heather's parents called them criminals and smugglers. No matter what you called them, dad was able to get an idea of what route to take out of the city as well as get the rifles, pistols and ammo.

It's not like we could just walk down to the closest shop and buy them off the shelve. The Military kept those kinds of stuff to themselves. They even did sweeps in the building looking for contra ban items like that as well as for other things. They taught us in school to report to the Military if we ever saw anything on the list in our homes. It was one of the reasons we never knew about his hidden supply until we were like twelve. Dad didn't want to risk us, so he says. Considering how many of our classmates' parents ended up in trouble when we were younger, it was probably a smart move on his part.

As I have said, my dad is only an idiot when it come to me.

And well, he wasn't very bright for taking on these others with us out into the wild. I have watched some of these men nearly shoot off their own feet with their pistols. Dad equipped them, gave them some ammo and strict orders not to shoot anything unless he told them too. Sam, mom, and I have all had some training for the weapons from dad, just enough to not kill ourselves and to hit whatever we're aiming at. He used to sneak us into different areas of the old town to practice shooting. Sometimes at bottles, sometimes at rats, a few times at the Infected who had heard us shooting. Sam and I have both killed Infected, from screaming runners to those stupid clickers. Which is more than I can say about the others with us.

Dad even taught us some basic hand to hand as well as how to fight with a knife. I asked him once, why would I bother learning to fight with a knife when I had a pistol? He just smirked and reminded me that ammo was in short supply but knives were forever, just like diamonds.

Dad is weird.

Until I got bit, I considered my self really lucky. Dad gave me a knife to carry when I turned twelve since they were not illegal, but I never had to defend myself or Heather from normal people. Still, I've heard stories, from time to time, about girls and women getting pulled off the street at night or even broad daylight in certain sectors and being gang raped. I had a couple of classmates that had that happen to them, it wasn't pretty. Sam was always willing to traveled with Heather and I when we left the building we all lived in, so I never felt unsafe. I don't know if having him around that actually help or not but why mess with a good thing. Plus, Heather had always like having him around.

I looked around the small airport from the tower, to make sure no one was approaching our camp. Mom and dad are both worried about our neighbors, as they called them, and wanted to leave as soon as possible. We would have left already if the rest of our group wasn't made up of a bunch of pussies. It was like this every time we had to move out, someone would whine to dad about some asinine complaint; so and so was too tired, or it was too cold outside or God know what else. I swear this trip was taking three times ...

I swung my rifle off my shoulder without even thinking about it when I saw him … or her … standing just inside the wood line to the South. I didn't have a scope on the rifle, dad couldn't afford them. Even though dad, Sam and I each carried binoculars that we have looted along our travels, I didn't want to risk putting down the rifle to grab mine from my pack.

"Jeff?"

"What?" the bored voice of the prissy little ten-year old said from somewhere behind me. Probably playing with the useless junk littering the room.

"Go get my dad, tell him I need him to get up here."

"Why?"

"Just go get him, will you?"

"Why?"

"Go get my fucking dad now!" I snarled as I watched the figure standing next to a tree. The person wasn't doing anything but he or she was too far away for me to see any details. For all I knew, it was Green eyes and she had me in her cross hairs.

"I don't wanna," the little worthless bastard whine in response.

"I don't care, you're supposed to be helping me up here and I need your help, go get my dad, now!"

"I'm busy ..."

"Jeffery," I snarled as I spun around, taking my eyes off my target. God, I hope it is Green eyes and she was in a friendly mood this afternoon. If it wasn't, I would be dead before I hit the floor. "Go get my father right now!"

"Fine," he huffed as he got up from the chair and ran to the top of the stairs.

I turned back to see the figure hadn't moved, thank God for small favors.

Little fucking bastard stood at the top of the stairs and yelled down them for my dad. Great! Wonderful! I could have done that you stupid waste of sperm. And of course, we were four flight of stairs and five doors away from everyone else; so guess what happened, no one heard him. Shocking!

"He didn't hear me."

"Jeffery! Go! Now!"

"Whatever," he said stomping down the stairs, I heard him muttering out 'stupid mushroom' as well.

Normally, I would smack him, or anyone else but Sam, for calling me that but I was too busy to care. The prospect of dying soon made his petty insult seem rather unimportant at this particular moment. I'd rather not waste time on him, rather continued doing what was important, which is watching that stranger down by the trees.

Strangely, the thought of dying right now actually filled me with dread. I'm a runner, an infected who was, somehow, still waiting to finish turning into one of those mindless zombies with one desire to feast on other humans. Death was something I desired daily. Death was the only way to avoid becoming one of those things. My only fear is that dad wouldn't be strong enough to shoot me, that he would rather die by my hands then kill me like I deserve.

I know in my heart that Sam would never give me the release of death. His hatred towards me was too great, too justified, for him to ever love me enough to end things for me. When I finally turned, he would do everything he could to protect mom and dad from me but he most likely do something like break my legs so I would spend the rest of my pathetic life as one of those creatures.

Some days … some days, I think he is right. Some days, I think I don't deserve a quick death. Heather had been his girlfriend, carrying his child but she had been my best friend for as long as I can remember. Heather and I did everything together, we dressed the same, we studied together; hell I was ten feet away when Heather and Sam finally did it for the first time. I loved Heather.

So dying isn't something that I haven't considered but to die today, now because of some prissy little bastard was too lazy to do his job; yeah, not how I ever pictured going out.

The sound of running feet coming up the stairs pulled me out of my thoughts. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw dad slide up on my left with Sam taking up a spot on his left. Sam and I had our rifles pointed in the right direction while dad pulled out his binocular.

"Well, Sammy; looks like your fan club is back."

"Green eyes? Though so, she hadn't moved yet, so I figure whoever it was, they wanted us to see them."

"Alright, you two stay up here and I'll go see what she wants."

"No!" Sam and I said together.

"Well, someone has to go talk to her ..."

"Let the runner go, she is expendable ..."

"She is your twin Samuel! She is _not_ expendable, ever!"

"Yes, she is dad! Quit blinding yourself to that ..."

"Samuel!"

"Sam isn't wrong, Dad! And you know he is right!" I shouted out not looking at him. "I am going to die ..."

"No you are not! It has been almost a year ..."

"Dad, if anyone is expendable it is her, we can't go into any Zones with her. Shit, we had to hide her for the past year in Green Bay. We had to tell everyone she died, so no one would come looking for her. That is the only reason your mushroom head isn't dead yet because you know for a fact everyone would kill her without batting an eye if they knew the truth; the Military, our friends, everyone! Damn it dad, you are not even sure if the Fireflies will let her live!"

"This discussion is over! I will go down there ..."

"No! This is not over until you understand what is at stake here! Dad, you are the one person who is not expendable!" I shouted at him. Gads, he is an idiot sometimes! "Who going to lead us to the Fireflies if you die? Jake? Hank? That stupid Easter Bunny you are always yakking on about? Face it dad, everyone here is depending on you to get them to safety, everyone! Including mom and Sam! You can navigate through the snow, you can hunt, you are our leader! You, we can not lose you and survive!"

"You're my child, my little girl; I will fight to my last breath to defend you!" Dad used the same tone in his voice that he talked to Green eyes yesterday; colder than winter and deadlier then anything I normally hear from him. "You are not expendable, not last year, not now, not ever. Understand, young lady?"

"And if she is kills you, I will die! You think anyone else here would defend me? Sam? Don't make me laugh, the only reason I am still alive is because he thinks a bullet is too good for me. Who else is going to let me live? Do you honestly think Sam or mom can replace you as the leader? Feed us? Get us out of these mountains alive? Face it dad, if you die today, we'll fucking die tomorrow. Understand?"

"This discussion is over, you two will ..."

"Lawrence," a soft voice said from back at the stairwell.

Both dad and I turn to see mom crouched at the top of the stairs … she looked so tired.

"Everything will be fine honey, I'll be fine."

"It's right, you know," mom said. I felt my gut grow cold as she talked, did she … did she … just call me an it? "If you go down there and anything happens to you, we are all dead."

"You don't know that ..."

"Don't I?" Mom let out a tired sigh, she seem to age right before my eyes. My mom never really looked old to me even though she was forty-three years old, her smile and bright eyes always seem to make her look so much younger. Now, her eyes were dull and she looked like she was on the verge of tears … so old. "Send the runner down there, if everything is okay, then you can go but you are responsible for Sam and I and everyone else in our group, you can not to put your life at risk needlessly."

"She is your daughter," dad whispered out.

God! I wish they were yelling and screaming at each other or at me … these quiet calm voices was killing me! If they were yelling … they could always make up later and everything would be fine but this … God!

"No, she isn't. My daughter died a year ago. I have accepted it, I let you keep that thing around as long as our lives were not in danger because it made you happy. Maybe that was a mistake on my part, I just wanted you to see you happy, Larry. And if having it around made you happy, so be it. I had hope that, you know, you would've accept that she was gone yourself or that she would have turned completely by now. Now," mom stop talking, I could see the fear in her eyes. Fear of that person outside, of what could happen if it was our neighbors and they wanted our blood. "Now, if that is the same girl from yesterday, then our lives are in real danger. You know how bad it can get for us if they wanted to fight us. We need you to let it go. You have to let it go, Lawrence. We have no choice, if we can use it to protect us then that is what we need to do, that is what you need to do."

Dad hesitated, so I made it easy on him. He was the only one who still …

I ran down the stairs, I'm not sure if anyone called out to me or not, I couldn't hear a damn thing anyways except my heart beat. I've always wonder about my mom. Sam has always made his position clear to me as well as Dad, they have fought each other enough to leave no doubt in my mind. But mom, she never took sides in any argument as far as I knew. As I walked outside into the bright sunlight reflecting off the snow, I realized something. Mom hasn't called me by my name since it happened!

...

Okay, it's fine … it will be fine. That changes nothing, I still love her even if she hate … hates me. It changes nothing, I can still save them, save Sam. And when I die, they can be a happy family again! Just wish I had some sunglasses to wear, this bright sunlight was making my eyes water too much to see.

I quickly walked across the field, my rifle in my hands but pointed down. As I cross the landing strip, I kept my eyes on Green Eyes, watching her began her trek across the grassy, snow-covered field. I didn't bother to look around to see if anyone was hiding in the bush, it is amazing how brave and cocky you can get when you know you are bait. After all, if I died the others would have enough warning to either fight or flee. Hopefully flee, only Dad, mom and Sam had any hope to fight them off. Plus, I don't plan to go out quietly either, I'll bit the bitch if I have too.

She was walking just like I was, not looking around or hesitating; I wonder silently why she was their the bait.

"Don't think like that or you will waste yourself for nothing," I remind myself. Even if what I have seen from her was the best she could do or the only thing she was good at; it still outclasses anything I can do to her. Besides, if she was bait that meant that she was the most expendable member on her team.

There is a cheerful thought to have while walking towards her, all alone.

We came to a stop, about three feet apart from one another, silently sizing each other up. She slowly removed her scarf and snow goggles allowing me to see her face and her green eyes.

She really did have pretty eyes … even with the scars peppering her face. Cute freckles as well. She was a red-head, if dad was right about her freckles.

"Hey," she said nodding towards me.

"Hey, what's you want?"

"Oh, nothing really," she said making faces as she looked around. "Had to come out to check on my flight going to Florida tomorrow. Big photo shoot at the beach, you know how it is."

"Uh-huh," I groaned inside, great another one. Dad and her will get along famously.

"So um … yeah, how you doing Bright eyes? Everything okay?"

"I'm not doing too bad Freckles, had a good dinner last night thanks to you." Her face started to scrunch up before she forced it to relax, she didn't like Freckles. Will have to remember that. "Seriously, thank you for the deer and, you know, for not killing us."

"Hey, thanks for not giving me a reason to kill you guys," she sounded relieved but it could be an act. "Your brother could have been nicer but I get it. I won't hold it against him."

"Yeah, he can be a jerk sometimes," I responded softly. "But he is my twin so ..."

"Yeah, I get it, family; what can you do," she gave me smirk.

I almost gave her one back, her grins were infectious or something. She is a real charmer I bet, has all the boys eating out of her hand.

"We're trying to get our group together to move on, probably tomorrow, if you're wondering about that."

"That is kind of why I am here," I tense up a bit as her eyes tracked my rifle. I made the effort to point it down and away from her. Not very far but just enough that she relaxed, barely relaxed, but I could see it in her stance. "I have a message from my leaders to your dad or whoever in leading you guys."

"What's the message?"

"I kind of got to give it to him personally," Freckles said while slowly moving her arms up to her zipper. "I'm not armed. I am going to take my jacket off very slowly and prove it to you."

"Go ahead," I watched her unzip her winter jacket, damn it looked warm, and hold it in one hand. She did have red hair, well brownish red, it was up in a pony tail like mine but her hair isn't nearly as long. "Drop it to the ground, hold your arms out and take three steps back." She did as I requested, I did a quick pat down of the jacket while looking her over. Damn, she looks even smaller without that jacket on. She was wearing a long sleeve red flannel shirt with another black shirt on underneath. It was obvious to me that she was also wearing primarily boys clothing just like me. Everything was just a tad big on her, except her boots, those were leather and looked hand-made. Yeah, I'm jealous. I wish my boots looked that good, also they looked a lot more comfortable than mine. She also had a radio on her hip with a mic clipped to her shirt. "Here is your jacket back. I'm still going to have to pat you down as well."

"No problem, Bright Eyes." She turned around after putting her jack back on but leaving it unzipped, while placing her hands on the top of her head without me asking.

"My name is Sammy you know, Freckles," I said while sling my rifle on my shoulder.

"I'm Ellie, glad to meet you Bright Eyes." She said, I could hear the smile in her voice, as I started on her left ankle working my way up.

"Like wise, Freckles." I couldn't help myself, I actually smiled. She snorted but didn't comment on my nickname for her. When I got to her right butt cheek, I felt something in her jean pocket. I kept my hand there for a second trying to figure out what it was that she was carrying. I guess it was longer then I had though because she cleared her throat to add in her two cents.

"I know I'm not very good at the dating thing but aren't you supposed to buy me dinner before you feel me up?"

"What is in your back pocket?" I asked quickly, feeling my face get hot.

"It's my mom's switch blade," she said in a voice of steel. "I will get that back, understand."

I decided to leave it were it was, probably not worth the fight anyways. I know if I was carrying something that my mom let me use, I wouldn't give it up for anything. Even now, even after I found out my mom hates me.

"Next to me, wahoo," she was singing softly as I ran my hands over her arms. And that was the only words she kept singing. Strange girl this …

…

What the hell is under her shirt …

"Hey, you mind not touching those?"

"Touching what? What is that?"

"Those are my boobies," she said spinning away from me.

"That was not your breast, I never felt your breast ..."

"Yes, those were my boobies! I should know when someone is groping me, Bright Eyes!" She snapped as she awkwardly zipped up her jacket.

"Look Freckles, I know what breast feel like and I never felt your breast. There was something else on your chest, it was flat and hard."

"Hey! Just because mine are not like those fucking huge watermelons you have, doesn't mean I am flat!"

"I didn't say you were ..." Wait, what does she mean by that? "What's … what's wrong with my breasts?"

"Nothing, if you like them super size large." Freckles said checking me out. "How the hell do you walk around without falling on your face with those?"

"Mine is a perfect C Cup, thank you very much," I caught myself fidgeting with my jacket as she sent me a look of disbelieve. I forced my hands away from my own zipper as I retorted with, "Maybe when you hit puberty in a few years, you'll get your own set, instead of those grapes you have now."

"I'm going to be sixteen soon, Bright Eyes!" It was like she growled it out.

"Yeah, right, more like twelve, " I snorted out. "I will be sixteen September 13, when your birthday."

"Um," she said suddenly turning red face. "I … I'll … soon, you know, sometime soon …"

"What? You don't even know your own birthday?" I asked letting out a small laugh.

"Of course I know when my birthday … wait, did you call my boobies grapes? I knew it! You did cope a feel." She threw up her hands as I rolled my eyes, "Jeez, Bright Eyes; seriously, you owe me dinner big time. I'm not a cheep date, you know." She walked by me, towards the tower, just slowly shaking her head.

"Don't flatter yourself, Freckles, I don't like girls like that. Even if I did, you are not my type!" I had to step quickly to catch up to her, for such a small girl, she was quick.

"You could have fool me," she said rolling her eyes at me. "I don't like girls like that either, that is why you won't catch me going around feeling up random strangers on the first date."

"We are not on a date, how the hell can you say …"

"I know we are not on a date," she came to a stop and pointed her finger at me. "I don't date girls and if you expect a second date, I better get my steak and lobster. I deserve that much at least, I've told you before I am not a cheep date." She stomped away with a huff.

"Again, I don't date girls ..." I reminded her as I quickened my steps to keep up.

"Sure Bright Eyes."

"Second, if I did, Freckles, I wouldn't buy you steak and lobster for dinner ..."

"What?" Ellie stopped in her tracks and shot me a look of astonishment. "You won't even buy me dinner? What kind of girl do you take me for?"

"I'm sure you are a nice girl, and I would be glad to buy you dinner but how I can't buy you anything when I have no fucking idea what a lobster is!"

"Oh I get it now," she spun back around and walked towards my camp while giving me a fishy stare. "You're one of those people. You just love them then leave them, uh. Meet a nice girl, whisper sweet nothings in her ear, have a bit of fun and disappear into the night. 'Oh don't worry, I still respect you in the morning', right?"

"I wouldn't ever do that you Freckles, I'll … wait!" I stopped and put my left hand to my forehead, I'm completely lost now! What the hell, how did I … why the hell am I even having this conversation!

"No? Let me guess, you'll 'call me in the morning' right? Pftt! I swear you are all the same!" She spun back around to look at me while she walked backwards. "Steak and lobster, and maybe, just maybe, I'll let you take me to the movies this weekend … maybe! And this time, you better keep your hands to yourself!"

I am totally confused, now! What kind of girl did she think I was anyways? Sure, I might have had a couple one night stands back when I was younger but I never did anything like that to anyone. I sure wouldn't …!

Ugh, damn it I am not thinking about this now! This is stupid … and confusing … and .. and just …!

I still have no fucking idea what a lobster is?!

* * *

I stood by the double glass less door waiting for the befuddled Sammy to catch up. I gave myself a small smile, she had been easy to distract. The hidden radio I had tucked in my bullet resistant vest was safe, so Steven and the others, more importantly Joel, could still hear what was going on around me. Which was good because if anything went wrong, yeah I was screwed and would need Joel to pull my ass out of the fire. But, however, if I had any hope of this working, the last thing I need Joel coming to my rescue to early. And if she had found it, that would have sent the dogs of hell, better known as my Joel, on a rampage.

Then again, right this second, this plan sounded so much better … _last night_ … then it did right now. Right now, I'm wondering why I ever talked Joel into letting me do this!

After we let Larry and his two kids take the deer, we followed them at a safe distance to the old air field North of Jackson. A place where small private planes, some had been use by private tour companies to fly over Yellowstone, and commutator planes use before the whole end of civilization happened. While Larry seemed to have his head in the game for the most part, the others with him; yeah, not so much.

Their fucking sentry left the tower when they arrived with the deer and no one went back up until after they all finished eating! Are you serious? Joel and I were able to cross the very open field, provided no cover for at least 300 yards, to the terminal to watch them play with themselves. We could have wiped out everyone without breaking a sweat if we wanted. Joel just shook his head when we left.

This morning when we came back, Alvin and Dwayne, both had stayed out here to keep an eye on them, reported that one of those so-called survivors kept his or her candles lit all night! Idiots! It wasn't until a small blond girl, probably Sammy, showed up around four; did the lights went out and stay out.

On one hand, their incompetence made our plan easier to sell since it could be said it was more of a mercy mission then anything else. The hills to the South and West were crawling with bad men who would eat these morons alive … maybe literally.

On the other hand, walking into the lion's den, even with these idiots, unarmed and alone wasn't as easy as it may sound. Idiots, after all, have a tendency of doing stupid things that can get you killed at the worst possible moment. Like start shooting because a chipmunk dropped a nut or something. SO putting my life in their hands; yeah, this plan sounded a lot better last night. Especially since Larry and his kids weren't totally idiots. And Sam, yeah I didn't trust him either. Hopefully, he was up in the tower doing guard duty.

Then again, miss 'lets have some fun' did leave my switch blade alone, not that it does me much good but it was something. Still can't believe she grab my ass like that but at least, it provided me cover on the whole vest thing.

"Dad, Ellie, Ellie, my dad," Sammy said in a huff as we went through the doors, she was looking far more upset about what happened then I was, I was the one who being groped after all!.

"Glad to meet you again Ellie," he said while glancing at Sammy.

"Back at you," I said not reaching out to shake hands. I slowly moved over to a low counter while checking out the different posters on the wall, while Sammy and her dad quietly conversed. Down by the bend in the wall was a woman with hair like Sammy's, might be her mom, holding another rifle but pointing it down and away. Larry doesn't seem armed, so I will assume he has a pistol somewhere on him. Damn both parents still alive? Huh, I though that only happened in Jackson.

"Dad, what is a lobster," she suddenly said loud enough for me to hear.

I plopped myself on the counter top, letting my legs swing over the edge while unzipping my jacket. Yeah, she was a lot more upset then she should be, wonderful, I'm going to feel guilty about this I just know it. Even thought I know I shouldn't. She is the one who grabbed me.

"What?"

"Lobster! I … I might have touch her more than I should have and now she says I owe her a steak and lobster." Fuck, I think she going to start crying. "I … I'm trying to do what you said and not start trouble but I didn't mean to grope her and now I owe her a lobster and I have no idea what one is!"

"Sammy," both Larry and I said at the same time as he went over to hug her. I wasn't about to hug her, don't want to give her any more ideas, so I explained why I did what I did. "Sammy, it's no big okay, I wasn't serious. Besides, you can't find lobsters around here anyways."

"What?"

"She was just pulling your leg, honey." Larry said with a smile. "She just trying to keep you off-balance." She pulled away from her dad, searching his face. "She wants to keep us off-balance, so we can't hurt her, that is all. And she is right, lobsters are only found on the coast, mostly but not limited to, New England, where she is from."

"What? Why would she …?"

"Put yourself in my place Sammy, I am alone, unarmed and in your camp. I have to make sure I'm safe for everyone sake. I think I can trust you, I might be able to trust your dad, maybe. But if I am wrong, I am dead. So ..." I shrugged my shoulders as her dad just gave me a tight smile and nod. Yeah, he understands. Hopefully, it will make my job her easier.

"So you lie to me, making me think I actually groped you?" She walked quickly over to where I was sitting and slapped me in the shoulder. Great, from tears to anger in ten seconds flat. "Thanks a lot, Ellie!"

"Well," Please, please don't let me blush, please don't let me blush. I lowered my voice enough so only she could hear me. "I never say it was a completely lie, Sammy, about the groping part."

"Oh," she said just as softly and wide eye while I looked at the poster behind her, oh pretty plane!

"Well, this is awkward," Larry said with a small laugh. "Looks like we have two lobsters here after all."

Great, yeah at being so fair skin. "Thanks."

"So, now that the ice has been broken; how can we help you today, young lady?" Larry said as Sammy backed up a bit to stand next to him.

"We're heading into Starvation Moon." I watched his face, he didn't twitch much so he understands where I'm going with this. I hope. My luck he will be thinking we want to hunt them or something. Than again, he seem surprise when I warned him about the cannibals.

"I had assume you weren't really all that concern about it or else you wouldn't have given us that deer yesterday." He said slowly, "But if you're worry about us competing with your group for food, we will be gone soon."

"No, actually we, that is my group, is more concerned about your welfare." Larry went wide eye as I continued on. "Last night my companion and I reported on your group to our leaders, they were concern that anyone would try to travel during the winter. So am I, actually. My companion and I left Boston the summer before last and we were in these parts last winter, damn near didn't make it. The lack of food, those nice people I told you about, the weather; good times." I gave him a ghost of a smile as he nodded. "My leaders are willing to give you … um … sanctuary, that is the word … until the spring thaw."

"That is … generous." Larry said slowly as he stroked his beard while glancing at his daughter. "A very generous offer, in fact. Makes me wonder how much of my soul I have to sell?"

"Nope, no souls." I let out a sigh with a smile. "The fact is we could use some extra bodies to help out in some construction projects we have planned. We have more plans than people. You will work just as the rest of us do to pay for your stay, just like we all do. There are no free rides in Jackson. Also, once the spring thaw occurs, anyone who wishes to leave is free to leave so as long as they understand that once they leave, they can't get back in. Also, they can't hang around our territory."

"So we will be slaves?"

"No, not slaves." I answered quickly. Kevin and I have had this conversation in the past and we rehashed it again last night, because Kevin wanted to make it absolutely clear to everyone involved in this discussion on this point. There would be no slavery in Jackson, ever. There would be no long-term prisoners, no pow camps; offenders will be Exiled once they had violated the law before they are held against their will. "We don't want slaves, we don't want people who are not committed to the same goals as we are; if you don't like it, you can always leave. Likewise, if our leaders are not happy with you, we will ask you to leave."


End file.
